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Benjamin Marauder pistol – Part 3

Benjamin’s new Marauder air pistol is a large, powerful precharged air pistol. It will be among the very few legitimate hunting air pistols.

Before we start, I’d like to wish a Merry Christmas to all our readers. I hope this holiday brings you all that you hoped for and more. And, let’s not forget the real present that was presented to all mankind on this day several thousand years ago.

This is Part 3, but there’s going to be a Part 4 coming. I’ll explain why in this report.

Mounted the scope
Crosman sent me a special one-piece cantilever scope mount and a CenterPoint Optics 4-12×44 compact scope with an adjustable objective (AO). There’s just one problem. The mount had one-inch rings and the scope has a 30mm tube. As I had only a brief time to run the test because of other pressing things, I replaced the scope with a Leapers 6x32AO compact scope with an illuminated reticle.

I cannot say for sure that the scope is a Leapers, for no brand name appears on it anywhere, but it certainly resembles one in all other aspects. The small scope size is perfect for a carbine, but the optics were not as sharp as I would have liked them to be. I want to go back with the same pellets and see how much better the pistol can do with the CenterPoint Crosman sent.

The 6x compact scope looks great on the Marauder pistol, but I don’t feel it gives enough precision to the aiming.

The test
The test was 10 shots from a rest at 25 yards. I swapped the two grip panels for the detachable buttstock to make shooting easier. And, I rested the gun across a shooting bag. After I got it sighted in, I started shooting for the record.

The first pellet I tried was the Beeman Kodiak. I was surprised by how loud the gun is when shooting this pellet. It’s like a Sheridan Blue Streak on 8 pumps of air, which is quite a bit louder than what I told you in part 2. The first magazine failed during this part of the test. It allowed me to shoot down to four pellets remaining, and then it stopped feeding. Fortunately, Crosman had sent a spare mag that got me back in the game in no time.

I wish you could have seen the gun shoot! It lobbed pellet after pellet through the same hole, enlarging it only slightly as the shot count grew. At the end, I was looking at a vertical group that measures 0.61 inches. I thought about that vertical stringing until the next group stretched horizontally. So, it wasn’t the pellet or the gun. It was me. I was unable to precisely place the scope’s fat reticle against the small target time after time.

They just kept going through the same hole. The hole got larger, but nothing landed outside it. Ten Beeman Kodiaks went into six-tenths of an inch at 25 yards.

The last time I watched a rifle shoot like this, I was shooting an Egyptian Hakim military trainer. At 10 meters, it made groups of about the same size. That built my confidence in the gun tremendously.

Satisfied that the pistol could shoot, I switched over to Predator pellets — the ones with the red polymer tip. One of our readers touted these to the skies, so I thought I’d check them out. On shot No. 1, there was a marked difference in the muzzle blast. It now sounded like a silenced airgun. So, I didn’t imagine anything in Part 2. This pistol really is quiet!

But better than that, the Predators are accurate pellets, too. Not quite as tight as the Kodiaks, but accurate enough to land 10 in a group measuring 0.745 inches. Like the Kodiaks, I got groups that were both vertical and horizontal, so we know it’s the aim point that needs refining.

Predators were accurate, too. This group of 10 measures 0.745 inches.

Crosman Premiers
The Marauder has a choked Crosman barrel, so it should perform well with Crosman Premier pellets. But, on this day, it wasn’t up to the standards of the other two pellets I tried. Again, I blame the lack of aiming precision, except in this case it really looks like the Premiers came in third out of the three pellets tried. They fit into just less than one inch at 0.961 inches.

Premiers opened up to just less than an inch. These 10 went into 0.961 inches.

The Premiers are on the loud side, as well. I think what the Marauder wants are pellets with thin, soft skirts. In the next accuracy test, I’ll try some new pellets, as well.

I think we have a clear winner in the Marauder pistol. This is one to write home about, but I think there’s more than we’ve discovered. That’s what I’ll put in Part 4.

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111 thoughts on “Benjamin Marauder pistol – Part 3”

I love this gun! This is the one that will get me into PCP’s. I just can’t find the extra dough to get one yet.

“The small scope size is perfect for a carbine, but the optics were not as sharp as I would have liked them to be.” I never thought about it before reading this statement, but do you think there is a link between the compact size of this scope and the lack of clarity with the glass? Or would glass quality be what it is regardless of the distance between the lenses.

My 3-9 with AO Bug Buster currently sitting on a Discovery is a fine scope for the price. Keep the shots under 50 yards (30 and under really) and it is fine. It really shines at bug busting 5 yard range. Hey they call it a bug buster for a reason.

I looked through a Leupold Mark IV the other day and WOW! I’m not sure cheap scopes are worth the bargain price. Really going to have to shop around for my next scope. Too bad about the Bug Buster, because it’s on my list. Need one that can do some clear, up close work in low light surroundings.

The bugbuster won’t win any prizes for crystal clear clarity, but it is still an excellent scope for the price. The biggest beef I have with the scope is its wide reticle cross hairs. At distance they may block out your target. Also I think these smaller scopes increase parallax error. Longer scopes seem to demand a more precise cheek weld to get a clear sight picture, which will keep the crosshairs from moving around.

On the other hand, the bugbuster is the perfect scope for short work ( they will focus clearly on subjects less than 3 yards away ) They are also the perfect size and weight for smaller rifles. You don’t want a scope that weighs a pound and a half, and is a foot and a half long on a Discovery, Beeman R7, or IZH61. I find the optics to be surprisingly good for the price in low light situations. The illuminated reticle is controlled by a rheostat, rather than set light levels, so you can adjust the light level down to a degree where it is usable.

I have a crazy policy where I refuse to spend more on a scope than the rifle it will be mounted on.

That’s the scope I will be using on my 2250 project. Good to here that it woks well up close. I have a few scopes for longer ranges that really suck up close, so the b buster is it. Good to hear that it works well.

That Leupold I was looking through the other day was a $1800+ scope and while I have a gun for it, I don’t have the budget! Sure was nice though.

I just wanted to say that I plan on getting both this pistol and the Marauder rifle as my first PCP’s. Reading these posts about the two are further interesting me very much in both of these. That being said, I realize now that i have bitten by the bug. I just spent the last 8 hours or so reading posts all the way back to the beginning of June this year. When i got my first air gun, a Ruger Air Hawk, I never really put much thought into it. I searched up on google and found PA, which in turn brought me here. I have been bitten hard and I believe i am now going to be spending a lot of time and money into air gunning.

Lucky you… you’ve made some good choices upfront in the air gun world. Unless you want independence from pumping and or air tanks, PCPs are the only way to go… and you pay a large price in fun and accuracy.. IMHO.. if you choose springers over PCPs.

The Marauder pistol and rifle have broken new ground in price vs features.. There is no way that the marauders are in the same class quality wise with the German and English PCPs, but for features and accuracy, they compete very well.. at half the price! Marauder rifles are taking new field target shooters quickly to the upper levels of competition… and the pistol will do the same in the Pistol Field Target game.

The people who contribute to this forum tend to be friendly, knowledgeable, generous, and modest to a fault. I frequently check in here, not because I need the latest airgun news, but to see what kind of hi jinks the coolest people on the planet are up to. Also there is a wide range of topics discussed, not just airguns. Our celebrated administators Tom and Edith not only input expert commentary, but keep the blog clean and civil.

The people here will help you part with all your disposable income in a most productive and satisfying way.

Thank you all for the very warm welcomes. Seeing as how im only 20, I know I have plenty to learn. I feel like I now part of a much larger family. This shall be another one of my more expensive hobbies next to tuning up my car, building computers, and riding BMX freestyle. I have put together a wish list on PA already and it’s almost to the $5k mark lol. I hope to get a membership at the local gun range. Living in the middle of the city im in kinda limits me and testing lol. I know for a fact that I will be here often and posting my fair share once I become experienced. Thanks again!

Shellshock-Merry Christmas!Welcome to the best blog in the world ,and i’ll echo SlingingLead here you can find answers for everything that you wanna know about air rifles and pistols but more important than that -you can find here some really nice people (btw. nice hobbies man ) !Anyway greetings from Croatia !

I just found my old air pistol that was given to me by an old neighbour I used to live by. I had completely forgotten about it till just about an hour ago. It’s a Daisy Powerline Model 1200 CO2 BB Pistol. I’m not entirely sure what I really have my hands on here and I was wondering if you guys could help? I also found my trusty Red Ryder I had gotten about 10 years ago. I loaded it up and tried to take a couple shots at a nice, thick cardboard box. It wouldn’t fire so I grabbed an old metal hangar and straightened it out. I pulled out a piece of a crayon that my younger brother must have jammed in there. As of now it shoots like it did before. Certainly helps pass the time in the BMX off season. Somewhat safe to shoot indoors at thick boxes and not have to worry about ricochet.

Shellshock-i am more pellet gun kinda of guy ,in fact i never had a bb gun but i know that Red Ryder is a classic ,yesterday i also did a little bit of tuning on my “el cheapo”air pistol Norconia S2 .Not as accurate as my Slavia 631 or 634 or my Diana 34 but still lots of fun

Just to let you all know I’m still around here’s a quote from one of my favorites, the late GREAT George Carlin:
“The main reason Santa is so jolly is because he knows where all the bad girls live.”
George Carlin

Hey rikib no i did not ,in fact i would but i can’t find them anywhere around here .Try RWS can’t really go wrong with them in fact every pistol/rifle is different so it is kinda gamble ,you know that my bet is always on RWS Hobby’s when i am going for accuracy but i would not use them for “monster fps air rifles” i guess that they perform best on lower to medium fps pistols/rifles.

Ronnie E. (Calif. state Pistol Field Target champion) used a tricked out 2240 to win the state title.. and he found like I have with mine I converted to HPA, that JSB 13.4 or Air Arms Falcon 13.4 gr are best, if there is little wind… in the wind the same brands in the 16 gr. are the best for us.

What ever pellet you choose, if you really need accuracy, you need to wash, weigh, and lube the pellets with coconut oil .. (or some like to use “Kry tec” wax lube for bike chains. I’ve heard it can cause cancer, so I use the coconut oil and it seems to work just as good)..

Man do I love this pistol/carbine… One day it will be mine, one way or another.
I’m sure the modders are already working on getting it even quieter than it already is (like the depinger and the magic eraser between the baffles tricks).
My first PCP will likely be the crosman silhouette pistol, with the floated barrel it could easily be fitted with a nice long TKO lead dust catcher and make a wonderful, very accurate little carbine and very close to being legal too
Which make me wonder why PA isn’t offering some pre-package deals on the silhouette pistol with the pump and a few accessories (like a rear sight).

I wish everyone a merry Christmas and I hope you are all as happy, feeling as good and as in good health as I am. I know how lucky I am and am very thankful for it. Have the best week-end.

Merry Christmas BB and Edith,also Mac and all the PA team.Not forgetting of course the great folk who make up the thriving community who frequent this blog.
It is an honour to be in your company.
What an air gun to see us through to the new year as well.
As Ronald Mcdonald would say,
‘I’m Lovin it’
Bless you all.
DaveUK

To all my friends here…a very merry Christmas and all the best in the new year.
The weapons are all wrapped and under the tree…two Steel Storms for the boys and a Umarex Beretta 92 for dad…mom is the holdout, she wanted a new flute…what’s with that!
It’s 7:30AM…it’s -27C/-17F outside with about 2.5 feet of snow. Mom is taking the boys to a Christmas movie today and I just poured my first eggnog (laced with a wee dram ‘o scotch).
As Jimmy Stewart would say…”it’s a wonderful life”!!!

Off topic, but could someone with a Blue Book of Airguns tell me what a non-working Crosman 120 might be worth? I found one on craigslist yesterday and might buy it just for kicks. The seller wants $30 for it.

It’s my day for craigslist postings as there’s another one for a Crosman 180 (first variation) for $35. The seller says he has never fired it and doesn’t know if it will hold CO2 or not. I’m going to be conservative and guess it won’t.

Bobby,that should always be the assumtion…not just to be cynical.I would rather be pleasantly suprised than sorely dissapointed.I always figure the seller is saying “I know it won’t hold….so I’m not going to waste effort proving it!”Don’t forget Pellgun oil can save many leakers.
Merry Christmas to all!

I found a way that is better for me when shooting.
Always a problen with my triger hand in the thumbhole stock. Not very steady for me, and have trouble with trigger control.
Tried something different. Pretended that the thumbhole was not there. Kept my thumb in line with my trigger finger and laying in the groove of the stock in front of the thumbhole.
Works pretty good. Rifle seems more steady. Less tendency for the crappy trigger pull to pull the shot off when the trigger finally breaks.

Very Nice. It looks like this one may be my first PCP. The noise is not a problem for me. I live in the country and while there are other homes nearby, this in Northern Michigan so not a probalem. Michigan has poor airgun laws so I’ll have to register it as a handgun, they treat it the same as a cartridge gun when in .22 cal.

Mike,
Just so you don’t run afoul of the law here, any pistol (meaning shorter than 30″ long) other than a smoothbore 0.177 needs a permit. If it is over 0.177 caliber or rifled, it needs a permit in MI.

I bought a QB 79 deluxe with the thought of using the big 9 oz paint ball tanks that are supposed to fit it, however they are too fat. They warn that the aluminum tanks are 2.1 inches instead of 2.0 and may not fit, but I have bought both kinds with no luck. The steel tank actually clears the barrel all the way up to the last turn and a half but then rubs the barrel as you tighten it down.

I was just going to order the two different tune kits and send it off so I contacted Mike M, but he did not want the work and Rich in Mich has also recently retired.

I actually got the idea for this from a comment you had made about how economical theses tanks were compared to the little disposable CO2 or 88 gram Air Source, which seems correct since they are supposed to be good for 600 shots for a single tank.

So do you have any thoughts on this? Some guys suggested a higher riser, but this seems a little extreme to get the less than 1/8 th of an inch that is needed.

You can use the Avanti refilable tank on your QB 79 maybe I should’nt say this on this blog but you can get the info from Archer. Also get his manual and you can easily instal your tune kits yourself. I have the QB78 and its a realy fun little rifle. Glad pyramyd stocks them now.

Thank you both for that sentiment. And I know there are many others on this blog who feel the same.

Right now I am at a low point, because all my energy is gone. I am thankful to be alive, but each day is a bit of a struggle. I have relatives here visiting, which is wonderful, but I have to take multiple naps to get through the day.

I’m headed for bed right now, but I wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas.

Happy Holidays to all. I’m finally recovered from this head cold and decided to shoot my Disco this week. All of a sudden, can’t make a group. Then I discovered the elevation adjustment of my Bushnell Banner 3200 was within 1/2 turn of the end. Since the mount is a BKL, I recentered scope, re-adjusted elevation and windage on the mounts and….. can’t keep a group! At 29 yards, the darn thing is shooting 3 inches all over the target. I can’t believe this quality scope has given up the ghost. I’ll try a different pellet before calling Bushnell but have to wonder, why me? And on my “go to” squirrel gun, too!

Well, it will give me something to fool around with over the next two days.

Hope Santa brings everyone what they go to sleep hoping for and health and happiness to all.

Essentially, I turned elevation and windage knobs back to their center of adjustment after counting turns from one extreme to the other. I then adjusted the rear mount’s elevation (it rotates on a threaded stud) and then adjusted the grub screws (two grub screws that grab on to the threaded, split ring that is on the stud) for side to side windage until my pellets hit within 1″ at 29 yards of my POA. Then I turned the windage to move onto my POA and the next pellet went 3″ to the right and 2″ up. Anyway, more adjustment, more shooting, with POI moving all over. The pellet used is the RWS Super H 14.3gr. Yes, I’m going to try the Crosman Premier domes tomorrow to eliminate the problem being the pellet and rifle suddenly not liking each other.

Had another thought, however. Maybe my barrel needs a cleaning? I’ll look down the muzzle tomorrow.
Any suggestions from you, TT?

I asked about the Crosman pellets, because they have a bad habit of leading the bore. If you were using them, the first thing to do is clean the bore good with a brush. Clean the barrel if you were using them or not. You won’t get the lead out with a lot of the cleaners that a lot of guys use. If you use crosmans lube them. it will take longer to start leading. The ones in the box would be best. The ones in the tins are hit or miss.
Cp in a box cost a lot, so lets look at what you have been using….
Did you just start on a new tin? Change lubes if you were using them? Do anything to the barrel?

Your scope…
I would have bet a paycheck that you centered it that way.
I have some scopes that are reaching the end of their adjustment if you count clicks to center them. And they will NOT be centered or adjust properly.
Put the rifle in a gun vise , loosen the ring caps, Get the scope pointed at an object at at least 20yds. Focus out the parallax if you have an AO.
Roll the scope to see what the crosshairs do. It’s best if the rings are high enough that the scope can be rolled completely upside down.
Adjust the scope until the crosshairs stay on the same point as the scope is rotated through 180 degrees (if possible). It’s pretty hard to do the first time. Work with one control at a time.
The scope is now centered, or very close to it.
Tighten the ring caps down now with the scope positioned where you want it.
Start shooting and adjust the mounts to get it as close to zero as you can. Do a final adjustment with the scope.

If that don’t work, You will have to look for something else that has changed, or gotten loose.
A scope should not go to crap on a pcp. Anyone fool with your rifle? Drop it?

we have groups again. I used mainly RWS Super H’s with this rifle but cleaned the barrel with JB NEBP. Five minutes of pushing patches down the barrel gave me a clean patch at last. Remounting scope with adjusting knobs roughly at the center and then using the drooper mount to get the scope reasonable centered and I’m hitting the x ring shot after shot. Of course, that’s at 28′. Tomorrow I’ll zero the scope for 29 yards at my secret range (can’t tell you as then you’ll all want to use it here in the People’s Republik of NJ).

Got to tell you all, it was tough finding a seat at a Chinese restaurant tonight here. I think I’ll switch to Japanese food next year.

That’s good to hear Fred.
I have a feeling that the scope setting (too high elevation) was your biggest problem. Since you zeroed at less than 10 yds indoors I would guess that you will have to bring it down some at 30yds. That is not a problem because if the scope has a potential problem like I described, then adjusting farther down gives you a bit of insurance.

May take a few more shots to get things settled in right. Clean barrels don’t stay clean. The crud level has to get stabilized before the POI will stabilize.

Something you might want to do after you get it zeroed…
Go back inside and shoot a target to see where it shoots in comparison to the aim point. File this target away so that in the future if you have to zero from scratch again you will know where you want the POI to be relative to the aim point. You can make up a few targets with the correct spot marked right on them. That should have you very close to being right when you go back outside.

TT, it’s been my experience in life as well as airguns that there’s always more than one cause for an effect. I agree with you that the scope’s adjustment was the prime reason but after seeing the patches coming out of the barrel, the crud on the barrel was a contributor. Anyway, I find that when zeroed at 10 yards approx., I’m typically 1″ high at 30 yards. Chairgun graphs do confirm this so you are correct that I’ll have to lower the scope for POA at 30 yards. Not a problem but it’s snowing here and I don’t feel like trudging from the basement to the fenceline to place my target. Oops, kind of gave away my secret range.

Thanks for all the suggestions, TT. You did touch on one or two items I hadn’t considered in resolving this issue. It still is a learning experience as I believe this is the first rifle that I own that needed a barrel cleaning due to fall off in accuracy.

You are right about multiple or contributing problems. I have ran into my share and then some.
Some slowly sneak up on you and others happen quickly.
Never fixate on just one possible cause. You will get nowhere unless it really was the only cause.
The improbable has a bad habit of sneaking up and biting you.
Be prepared to run down a long list of possibilities starting with the most probable.
Some things happen that make no sense. Not until you find the reason why it DOES make sense.

Merry Christmas Tom & Edith and all our readers in Cyberspace. may THE LORD grant us health in body, mind and spirit in the coming year.
Tom,
Try some B 100 Complex. It helps when your body is stressed out. Also fresh ginger, thinly sliced, steeped in hot water makes a wonderful tea to settle the stomach. Sweeten with honey to taste.
My scope and pellets did not make it in time for Christmas so i guess i will be spending some more time with my first love(the wife).
Merry Christmas to all.
Pete

I wish a very Merry Christmas eve to Tom and Edith and all my online airgun friends.
Feliz Navidad!

For tonight’s social engagement, me and the old lady are having ‘Turducken’ for dinner at a neighbor’s house. It seems to me turducken is like those Russian nesting dolls carried to its most bizarre conclusion. Normally I would not eat anything with ‘Turd’ in the title, tonight looks like an exception.

A happy and Healthy Holiday to all. My 2011 bring all the best for Tom and Edith. Two people who are willing to share and go above and beyond for the rest of us. Finally a much belated “thank you” to Kevin, for answering my HW85. queries back in the HW97 blog. Being more “on time” will have to be my resolution for the New Year. Feliz Navidad

Don’t sell your new gun yet. I’ve got a brushed finish aluminum tank that measures 1.995″ OD–but it’s longer than a standard 9 oz tank. I think a “standard” 9 oz aluminum tank nowadays is about 10.5″ long–including the valve. This one is 14.25″ long. It has a standard CGA 320 paintball size threaded valve installed. You’re more than welcome to try it and see if it fits. Has probably 7 oz+ of liquid CO2 in it.

Merry Christmas, for those who celebrate it in December! Let Health, Wealth and Luck always be with you.

I’ll be sort of offline for some time – event agency’s life means working while others have fun and we’ve got a New Year and Christmas in January. And after that I’m going for a little vacation – I hope I’ll go hunting wolves.

I did a little tradin last week and ended up with another Marlin 1894 cowboy… this one in 45-70…

There is a LITTLE difference between .45lc and 45-70

Not gonna be my most fun gun to shoot.. but when I need it she’ll be there…

I’m wondering what the record for number of stock butt cushions that one can somehow get attached to the butt of a gun:-).. or number of pads one can stuff into ones coat.. or how many bruises one can take on ones shoulder before one says “UNCLE”

I know… smart guys get a gun that has more meat to it for that cal.. who said I was smart:-).. I like the Marlins too much!

Wayne, try the book starting loads for the .45-70 Trapdoor with cast bullets. They are a lot more fun to shoot. Also, you rifle is most likely a 1895 Marlin when in .45-70. It has a longer, stronger action than the 1894.

Woke up to a snow storm this morning. Unusual to have a white Christmas in these parts. It is sure to turn into black ice later in the day. Time to get out a video camera and film some clips for ‘World’s Worst Drivers.’

Hope you all had a lovely Christmas day and got everything you wished for.
I got a gleaming tin of 500 JSB Exacts, Whoo hoo!
Now Christmas day is over let’s get down to some serious horse trading.
Any offers on a fondue set with matching socks(used only once)will consider a PCP
DaveUK

I will not trade any of my PCPs for anything less than a used foot cozy.

Fondue is good though. I like the little blocks of cheese dipped in melted chocolate and squares of fudge, dipped in melted cheese. The old standby, bacon-wrapped sticks of butter are good dipped in melted cheese or chocolate.

Please accept with no obligation, implied or explicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2011 but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere . Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee.

After consulting with my lawyers….I can now reply Thank You,right back at you! Seriously,I hope everyone is having a beautiful Holiday. Huntsville Alabama has had a white Christmas for the first time since the 80′s.My dog is going insane with joy,she’s never seen snow

I have been on an all-protein diet since before Christmas to stop the flow out of my pancreas. And it seems to have worked. My drain output this morning was less than one CC.

But I am very tired and I’m losing weight like crazy. Today I weigh just 178 lbs., which is close to a 100-lb. loss for the year. I look like a scarecrow at the moment, though when I resume my normal activities I’m hoping that will resolve itself.

Tomorrow I will show you my major Christmas gift, which is an airgun, of course.

B.B..
You may have given me a Christmas gift my doctors have never given me! I have had pancreatitis now for many years. Doctors just give a medication called Creon 10 that I need to take with anything I eat even a snack. They have never mentioned an all protein diet. Don’t know if it has anything to do with my liver disease that they have not mentioned it, but I’m definitely going to ask. I hate being this way as I was a physical fitness coordinator in the Navy, now I feel physically useless.
Thank you for that bit of insight into an all protein diet.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

An all-protein diet will decrease your pancreatic secretions, but it’s a hard diet to follow. The diet I’m following is ultra-low fat and almost no carbs. The first 3 or 4 days on the diet are a transition period during which you’ll feel extremely tired. I had to take several naps just to get through a day.

Now that I’m past that transition, it’s an easier diet to follow, but it’s not one I want to be on permanently. Good luck.

B.B.
(as dictated to Edith)

P.S. from Edith: Your pancreas makes 2 types of secretions. One digests carbs/sugars, and the other tackles fat. By putting Tom on a diet that limits fat to less than 10 grams a day and carbs to less than 20 grams a day, we’ve been able to drop his pancreatic drain from spewing out about 30cc per day of pancreatic enzymes to 1cc per day…and that drop was accomplished in 4 days! In another day or so, his drain should stop completely No one told us how many grams should be the upper limit. I simply put two and two together and realized that the solution to this problem was right there in front of us. Hallelujah!

Sorry to get back to you so late. I’m grateful for the info and saving it in a separate file to have on-hand. I’d really like to start feeling better and doctors have not been of much help in this matter. I hate having to take 3 pills everytime I eat anything, even a snack can’t eat full meals without getting sick. I very, very much appreciate this information.

I ordered a crosman 1377c for Christmas. Well, the fixed front sight is bent waaay over to the left, and the breech is not straight on the air reservoir and is tilted waaay over to the right. Impossible to aim and it looks like cr@p. I ordered it from airgundepot, and i’ve never done business with them so i’m not sure how likely they are to be reasonable and exchange it. If I can’t get it switched for a better one, how could I go about fixing the dang thing?

The barrel band can be loosened and the barrel adjusted to the right by simply twisting. The receiver is a different situation and involves loosening the receiver screws and repositioning it straight on the tube.

Well, I didn’t get the reloading equipment I thought might be coming. Nor did I get anything on my airgun wish list, which tells me that Santa flat did not get to my house this year. I will try to be a better boy in 2011. Though I did get two HUGE bag fulls of white and gray socks and a couple of weird colored plaid shirts along with some good quality time with family.

Hi B.B., I have a couple Gamo Shadows in .177 and .22 that are great. It looks like they don’t offer that model anymore. However, I was looking at a catalog and I saw a rifle called a Do All outdoors Accuair Force 1100, that looks very similar to the Shadows. Is this the same gun rebranded? Thx Steve

NOOOOOO!!!! I had an Accu-Air 1000… it’s a Turkish copy of the Gamo, and not a good one at that. Inferior to the Chinese made Gamo copies – the B18/B19/Crosman Quest (and a zillion variants).

Personally I like the old all-steel-barreled Gamo’s – the 220, 440, 890 and Shadow 1000. Excellent guns for the money I always thought, with good power and accuracy in a relatively light, easy-to-cock package. They weren’t even that hold sensitive. Yes, the breech pivot is a bit funky but it’s easy to service.

I was always iffy with their subsequent introduction of so many plastic parts in stress-critical areas. Occassionally we’ll hear of structural failures, but even with that aside the aesthetics of the newer guns just don’t cut it IMO.